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Dad Stabbed to Death in Front of Son

A father of 11 was stabbed to death in the doorway of his New Jersey home, in front of his 8-year-old son, in a bizarre case involving an eviction, a pair of sneakers and a jacket, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation. Adam Kuperstein reports. (Published Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017)

The Hudson County Prosecutor had issued an arrest warrant Thursday for 19-year-old Nasiar Day, charging him with murder, felony murder, conspiracy and other crimes in the death of 30-year-old Jose Malave, who was found lifeless in the doorway of his Jersey City apartment.

Day was taken into custody in Newark, officials said Friday. Attorney information for him wasn't immediately available. A 17-year-old boy already faces similar charges, though as a juvenile.

Law enforcement sources have said Malave was spotted wearing a jacket and sneakers belonging to the teenage suspect's friend, who was in the process of being evicted from his own home and whose belongings had been left on the sidewalk. Someone apparently sold them, and Malave bought several items.

It wasn't immediately clear if Day was the evicted friend, but sources have said the friend and the teenage suspect saw Malave walking back to his home with his son and recognized the items. Words were exchanged.

The teenage murder suspect demanded his belongings back, according to the sources. He told Malave to "give me my stuff," and Malave responded, "It's not your stuff," the sources said. Then Malave was stabbed to death.

"I look down the street to see if he's coming and he's not even coming," said one. "To know that he's not gonna come, to know that I won't be able to tell him I love him, hug him, this is crazy."

Another sister said she was in the home, along with four of her brother's children, when he was killed. She could barely speak through her tears, but described a trio of attackers with knives, one of whom punched her.

Relatives created a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses and childcare. On it, they wrote, "It is a painful loss to our family and friends. It is a pain that we do not wish on anyone."